As liquid crystal displays, for example, in a VA mode, there have been hitherto known a transmission type liquid crystal display, a reflection type liquid crystal display, and a semi-transmission type liquid crystal display (Patent Documents 1 and 2).
A liquid crystal cell of the liquid crystal displays has two liquid crystal cell substrates, a spacer interposed between the two liquid crystal cell substrates, and a liquid crystal material injected into a gap between the two liquid crystal cell substrates (the layer made of the liquid crystal material is called a liquid crystal layer). The thickness (cell gap) of the liquid crystal layer is kept constant by the spacer.
This liquid crystal layer itself has birefringence, and generates a retardation. In order to improve a deterioration in the viewing angle resulting from the retardation, an optical compensation layer for canceling the retardation of the liquid crystal layer is set up to the liquid crystal cell, of the liquid crystal display.
As an optical compensation plate of a liquid crystal display in a VA mode, a plate obtained by laminating a positive A plate satisfying a relationship of nx>ny nz and a negative C plate satisfying a relationship of nx ny>nz is conventionally disclosed (non-patent document 1).
As an optical compensation plate of a liquid crystal display in a VA mode, a plate obtained by laminating a retardation film satisfying a relationship of nx>ny=nz and the retardation of the film becomes substantially smaller toward shorter wavelengths, and a retardation film satisfying a relationship of nx≧ny>nz and the retardation of the film becomes substantially larger toward shorter wavelengths is disclosed (Patent Document 3).
The above-mentioned conventional panels aim to improve the viewing angle (achieve high contrast). However, according to the liquid crystal panels, a sufficient improvement is not made against a problem of color shift (color change) caused when the panels are each viewed from an oblique direction thereof.
Patent Document 1: JP-A-11-242226
Patent Document 2: JP-A-2001-209065
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 3648240
Non-Patent Document 1: SID 97 DIGEST pp. 845-848